


Stardrops Taste Like You

by Galaxy Margarine (spacebutterfangirlcollective)



Category: NormalBoots, Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Slow Burn, Sometimes you have to drop everything and elope to a farm with your best friend, well..... eventually anyways
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-05-28 16:02:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19397530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacebutterfangirlcollective/pseuds/Galaxy%20Margarine
Summary: A slow-burn, friend to lovers fic heavily inspired by the PB & Jeff play-through of Stardew Valley on PBGGameplay and Jeff and Austin’s respective streams. The story takes place in the universe of the game itself.





	1. Tuesdays at Joja

Jeff was prepared to argue with anyone that Tuesday was the worst day of the week. The reason was simple enough: he was tired from work the day before, but still too far away from the weekend to feel any impending sense of relief. It wasn’t that today had been any more tedious than a usual day at work, though. In fact, so far it had gone just as they always did-- same old city slog, subway commute, and watery coffee from the Joja Corporation Keurig. Same maddening hum of computer monitors and keyboard clacking. And the palette of the cubicle was composed of so much uninterrupted grey, he sometimes felt like he wouldn’t know it if his color vision just stopped working all together. But it was Tuesday, and so it was all just a little bit worse. 

Jeff had little games he’d made up to help himself survive it--like counting how many yawns he heard from the cubicles directly around his in a single day (standing record: 62). But for whatever reason, today they weren’t enough to keep him scanning forms and running numbers without feeling that impending sense of despair. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. There may have been one reason today felt particularly unbearable. Truth be told, his favorite way to occupy himself during days at Joja, was by looking forward to his precious 30 minute lunch break. It was a chance to refuel, a chance to stretch his legs, and most importantly, a chance to bound down to the 7th floor so he could spend every minute of it with Austin. 

Aside from the steady pay (which was the only reason he had taken the job in the first place), Austin was the only positive contribution Joja had made to his life. To be fair, it was a pretty big one. He’d had best friends before, but somehow Austin was different. From the moment he had started working in the cubicle beside Jeff’s two years ago they had clicked in an easy and instantaneous way he wasn’t used to. He still remembered it fondly:

_ “--will be your cubicle right here.” said a crisp voice. Jeff looked up from the monitor screen, eager for any sort of distraction. The woman from the employee training department who had given him his orientation a few months earlier, was walking down the row of work stations adjacent to his own. Her heels, clacking on the linoleum, came to a stop at the station directly beside his.  _

_ “Man,” joked a second voice, this one huskier “How am I ever gonna tell it apart from all the others? I’m gonna get lost in here” Jeff suppressed a laugh and stole a glance at the speaker. His back was turned to him, but he didn’t need to see his face to be struck by his extremely lanky build. He looked to be around 6’3” and probably weighed less than Jeff did, though he was fairly trim himself. His stab at humor seemed to fly right over the Orientation Guide’s head though. _

_ “You are in cubicle F14, it is marked on the side. Is that not enough indication?” _

_ “Oh! Yeah, of course, thanks! I just meant--” _

_ “Mr. Fabre occupies the work station next to yours. You may use him as a point of reference if necessary.” Jeff startled slightly at the sound of his own name. He looked over again, just as the new employee turned to face him. He had a goatee and a mop of fluffy brown hair, swished just enough out of his face that Jeff could see a pair of slightly mischievous eyes blinking back at him. Most striking of all though, was his wide, lopsided grin, which seemed hardly appropriate for beginning a job at the Joja corporation. Jeff returned the smile and gave a little wave in acknowledgement. The new employee opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, but before he could, the woman from the employee training department interjected herself. _

_ “I believe that concludes your tour of the workplace, Mr. Hargrave. Unless you have any other questions, I will leave you to get settled in.” _

_ “Nah! I should be good. Thanks, I ‘preciate it.” He replied. Jeff thought that was the end of it, but the woman hovered for a second longer. _

_ “And Mr. Hargrave,” her already humorless tone become stern, “The Joja corporation is very serious about our image as a company committed to our product. We at Joja would appreciate it if, in the future, you dressed less…. Unprofessionally… to better indicate how seriously you take your duties for the company.” The new hiree flushed in response. He looked like he was about to apologize but she had already turned on her heel and walked off. _

_ “Yeesh.” he sighed, collapsing in his desk chair, “Tough crowd.” Jeff wasn’t really sure who the comment was directed at, but he cracked a smile regardless. He heard the newly occupied chair swivel to face him.  _

_ “Am I underdressed?” he asked, still looking somewhat flustered. Jeff glanced him over again, this time paying more attention to his outfit. It was just a pair of dark skinny jeans and a junimo kart t-shirt. He gave a curt shake of his head. _

_ “Nah--I mean, maybe technically according to their policy, but we’re all just sitting at our computers all day anyways so no one really listens to that. She probably just picked on you cause you’re new” He seemed somewhat comforted by this response because the flush faded from his cheeks and a smaller version of that lopsided grin from before returned to his face.  _

_ “Thanks. Maybe I should try and dress it up a little in the future anyways though. I don’t wanna be on her bad side.” He paused for a second, then “Sorry, my memory’s terrible. What did she say your name was?” Jeff shook his head in response _

_ “She actually didn’t even say my first name. I’m Jeff.”  _

_ “PBG!” he said, extending his hand. _

_ “PBG…?” Jeff asked, unsure if he had heard that right. _

_ “Yeah! Well, PBG… Austin, Peebs--whichever works,” he replied. Jeff found himself laughing as he shook his hand _

_ “How are those the same name at all?”  _

_ “I don’t know! I go by all of them!” his tone was defensive, but jokingly so, “don’t you ever go by anything other than Jeff?” He pondered this for a second. _

_ “Nah, dude. Not really. Jeff doesn’t have a lot of nickname potential” Huh, had he called this guy that he just met dude? Was that too casual for a brand new co-worker? Austin was grinning back at him though, so he would have to assume it was fine. _

_ “What about Joof? Has anyone ever called you that?” _

_ “Not until literally just now” _

_ “Well from now on they will.”  _

And on the banter went. In fact, on it went five days a week for the next half a year until one too many complaints came in about how much laughing they were doing and how few forms and charts they each got through in one day. That’s when they relocated Austin to the 7th floor and since then, things at work had felt increasingly bleak. 

The Joja hours were demanding, the work was mind-numbing and the longer he was here, the more he wondered what he even thought he hoped to achieve with it all. It was nice that it offered security. But in truth, when he took the job he hadn’t planned to be here so long. It was meant to get him on his feet and help him save up enough money to pursue something he actually cared about. The longer he had worked at Joja though, the less he felt like he knew how to leave. He felt so drained after a full week of work, he hardly had the energy to do anything more than go over to Austin’s apartment and play games, and even then they had a hard time staying awake for long. The thought of trying to find a new job on top of everything else was daunting. Plus, he had hoped being at Joja would buy him time to figure out what he was most passionate about and what was worth pursuing, but Jeff felt like he had lost sight of how to do that more than ever. And he was definitely not the only one this job was wearing on. 

The reason he didn’t have his lunch break with Austin to look forward to today, was because Austin was home sick. It happened every few months, like clockwork: Austin would push himself too hard with overtime hours to make up for time he lost at work due to his easily distractible nature. He would cut corners on sleep and meals until he had run himself into the ground and was too physically ill to get out of bed for a few days. When Jeff tried to talk to him about it, he would always downplay it and chalk it up to having a bad immune system but Jeff knew that wasn’t at the heart of it. As spacey as Austin was, he was an anxious person and perfectionistic about his work, and unless something major in his life changed, this cycle was going to keep repeating. It sucked seeing his friend wind up so miserable and strung out month after month and feeling like there was nothing he could do about it. And all this stress for what? The work was unfulfilling, and coming in every day felt like walking into purgatory. He was sick of it. He was  _ so _ sick of it, he--

Without thinking, Jeff had kicked the leg of his desk, harder than he meant to. He cursed under his breath as he heard a metallic clatter and the bottom drawer jostled off its tracks. It wasn’t like him to lose his temper like that. He shook his head and leaned over to fix the drawer, when the large, wax sealed envelope inside caught his eye. Was that…? 

Gingerly, he lifted it from the drawer and slid it shut. He felt a twinge in his chest. This letter had been left to him in his grandfather’s last will and testament. It had been 20 years since he had passed, but he’d always been Jeff’s favorite member of his extended family, and the memory still carried a certain melancholy to it. While each of his sisters had inherited some personal possessions and a portion of his grandfather’s savings, the contents of this letter had been the only thing left to Jeff specifically. But it came with unusual instructions: It was only to be opened if there came a day where he was feeling lost, disillusioned or desperate for a fresh start. As strange as the directions had seemed at the time, it was the last request his grandfather ever made of him, and so he had done his best to take it to heart. He couldn’t really remember the decision to bring it to his office at work of all places, in fact, this seemed like the last place he would think to bring it. But here it was.  _ Lost and disillusioned, huh?  _ Jeff found himself thinking. Could there possibly be something in the envelope that could breath some vibrancy back into his life? Feeling strangely apprehensive, he grabbed his letter opener from another drawer. The seal broke in one swipe. The contents were stuffed fairly tightly inside so he upended the envelope to get them loose; dropping a letter in his lap, while a second paper fluttered to the floor. With care, Jeff unfolded the letter and began to read:

_ “If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change. The same thing happened to me, long ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life... real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong.”  _ Jeff felt his breath catch. Why were his hands shaking? It was making it harder to read his grandfather’s faded script. 

_“I’ve enclosed the deed to that place… my pride and joy: Pelican Town Farm. It’s located in Stardew Valley, on the southern coast. It’s the perfect place to start your new life.”_ The deed to the farm? Jeff scrambled for the paper that had fallen to the floor and sure enough, it was the deed: signed and stamped on weighty, official looking paper.

_ “This was my most precious gift of all, and now it’s yours. I know you’ll honor the family name, my boy. Good luck. Love, Grandpa. P.S. If Lewis is still alive, tell him I said hello, will you?”.  _

He placed the deed and letter gently on his desk, and then he read the whole thing again. And then a third time. “ _ It’s the perfect place to start your new life”... _ It was crazy. His grandfather had given him the Pelican Town Farm? The name alone called to mind 100 memories of his early childhood: walks through the verdant woods south of the property, sand castles and sun burns on the shore of the Gem Sea, and summer nights spent in the cabin, lulled to sleep by cricket song. It seemed so unbelievable that such a place belonged to him. The farm was so much of what made his grandpa who he was: gentle and resourceful, grounded and balanced. And now it was his. His heart was pounding but the beat was steady. It was his. He had just been thrown a lifeline. Hadn’t he just been thinking how hopeless and trapped he felt? How he needed a change? He wasn’t the kind of person to chalk things up to fate or destiny, and he never would be. But sometimes, things fell into place all on their own, and if he’d learned anything in life it was that when you are given a remarkable opportunity, you should take it. Jeff stood abruptly.

“Where are you going in such a rush?” that was Denise, the new occupant of the cubicle beside his “lunch isn’t for another hour” she droned.

“To give Joja my two weeks notice” Jeff answered. And he felt a real smile spread across his lips for the first time all day. 


	2. Surprise Soup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeff breaks the news to Austin about his plan to move, but it’s received with mixed emotions.

Jeff was so excited to tell Austin about the letter, that he completely forgot to knock.

“Jeez, Jeff!” Austin yelped. “Could you like--a little warning would be appreciated...” He had visibly jumped from where he laid in bed when his bedroom door slammed open.

“Sorry, dude” Jeff huffed. His face was flushed from running up the steps two at a time “I just couldn’t wait to tell you about--,” Jeff’s visual processing finally caught up with his brain long enough for him to note that Austin was just now sitting up in bed, looking very groggy and notably shirtless. The only light source was the desk lamp on his nightstand, and the room--which was normally crowded and cluttered, but not messy--had articles of clothes and tissue boxes strewn about.

“Crap, were you asleep?” Jeff asked, as realization dawned on him “My bad. Let me give you a minute to wake up and… yeah.” He stepped back towards the door, feeling a little like a moron for interrupting his sick friend’s sleep. Austin cut him off before he could get any further though.

“Jefffff,” he whined, “Wait, don’t go. You made me all curious. What’d you wanna tell me so bad?”

“It can wait a minute!” Jeff insisted, side-stepping a stray pair of boxers on the floor, “I’ll just go chill in the living room while you get dressed.” Austin just pouted in response. 

“But I don’t wanna get up. And I don’t wanna wait to hear about it. Tell me noww.” he patted the foot of the bed adamantly. Jeff gave a slight roll of his eyes in response but didn’t bother to keep arguing. Austin was far more stubborn than he would ever be, and besides, he was dying to tell him.

“Okay,” Jeff began, careful to avoid the lump that was his friend’s feet as a plopped down at the end of the comforter “This is gonna sound crazy, but-- I told Joja that I’m quitting. I gave them my two week’s notice today.” Austin’s mouth dropped open in disbelief.

“Wh--you quit?!” Jeff could see a million questions on Austin’s face warring for priority, “Did something happen? I mean, were you planning this for a while? And what are like--what are you gonna do, did you get another job? And--,”

“Dude, chill.” Jeff interjected. “I’ll tell you everything, that’s why I came over.” Austin looked like he was actively straining to bite back his flood of questions, so Jeff continued quickly, “Nothing bad happened today. Well… not really. But… I don’t know, dude. We both hate it there. I was just so tired and like… done with it. And that’s when I found this in my desk--,” he paused to remove the letter from his hoodie pocket and handed it to Austin. 

“Here, read it. It was from my grandfather. He left it for me after.. after he died. But he told me not to read it unless I was in a really bad place.” Austin, who had taken the letter from Jeff, and had been examining it closely until that point, glanced up from it now to meet Jeff’s eyes with a look of concern. They were such a vivid, pine green and could hold so much emotion when Austin had his guard down. Jeff swallowed and adjusted his seat on the bed to be further back, noting that if he could see Austin’s eyes in so much detail he must have been sitting closer than he’d meant to. Austin’s gaze returned to the letter in his hand, and after a few more seconds he handed it back to Jeff.

“So… he gave you his farm? And you want to go?” His voice sounded both more disbelieving and less excited than Jeff had hoped.

“I mean… yeah!” he answered “It’s a crazy good opportunity. It’s a chance to start over doing something fun and like...fulfilling. I used to go visit there when I was little and that place was amazing. It’ll mean working in the sun with fresh air every day instead of in that freakin’ cubicle.” Austin gave a wan smile in response to this.

“Yeah, I-- that sounds… great! I kinda remember some of your stories, you really love that place. I guess I just um, I didn’t realize you were so unhappy with uh…” he paused searching for words “everything… here.” he finished lamely.

“We talk about how much we hate Joja all the time,” Jeff countered, “it totally sucks there.”

“Yeah.” Austin agreed “It’s exciting, dude. It’s just--,” but he stopped suddenly “Nah, forget it. This is great, we should celebrate or something.”

“It’s just what?” Jeff asked. He knew Austin far too well not to pick up on his attempt to conceal the sullen tone.

“I said forget it!” Austin insisted, “I probably have like, maybe a bottle of wine in the kitchen, if you want to drink to it or somethi--,”

“Dude, I’m not gonna drop it,” Jeff huffed “Tell me what’s bothering you.” Austin slumped down in the bed, pulling the covers over his already messy hair.

“Donwunna” came Austin’s muffled voice from under them. 

“What?” Jeff tugged the cover back off his head

“I don’t _wanna_ ” he said emphatically “It’s dumb… and selfish.”

“I doubt it.” Jeff paused for a second thinking “Are you worried it’s too impulsive?”

“No, I--,”

“Do you think it’s irresponsible?”

“No, Jeff. It sounds--like, I bet it’s gonna be incredible, I--,”

“Then what?” Jeff asked. Maybe he wasn’t approaching this the right way. He reached over and placed one hand gently on Austin’s shoulder. The contact seemed to surprise him more than Jeff expected it to.

“I want you to be honest with me,” Jeff insisted gently, “What’s bothering you, Austin?” Austin was doing his best to look anywhere but at Jeff’s face, but the tonal shift seemed to have had the desired effect.

“Ugh.” he groaned, “I told you it’s selfish but… I was just… I was thinking about how that means...that things here are gonna suck a lot more without, ya know. Without you around.” Oh. _Ohh_.

“Wait--do you think I’m just gonna leave you here?” Jeff asked in disbelief.

“...Yes?”

“Dude, no way! I’m saying you should come with me!” he exclaimed. Austin’s face flashed through 100 emotions at once.

“You--you want me to come with you? To go-- to move to your grandfather’s farm?” The absurdity of hearing those words spoken out loud filled Jeff with a wave of sudden doubt, deep in the pit of his stomach.

“Well, yeah… I mean, no pressure, obviously. I just thought since we’d been talking about getting an apartment together when our leases were up next month and, and like, we both hate Joja... and you love those Harvest Seasons games, and so I thought maybe... you would want to but I… I guess that sounds kinda crazy now,” he laughed nervously, “I mean you’ve never even been there before and…I can’t just ask you to drop your whole life and--” he was grateful when Austin finally cut him off.

“Dude, Jeff. Shut up.” Austin said grinning widely “I wanna go! I’m not gonna miss out on an adventure!” And just like that the sudden flood of doubt drained away. He found himself giggling in relief.

“I can’t believe you thought I was just gonna go without you!” 

“Well! I-- I mean, I didn’t expect my best friend to show up out of nowhere and ask me to just run away with him to a farm!” Austin countered “I was asleep until like 10 minutes ago, this kinda still seems like some crazy fever dream” Jeff started to laugh again before remembering how he had arrived.

“Shoot, that’s right. You’re sick and I woke you up, I should let you rest.” He started to get up from the bed, but Austin grabbed him firmly by the arm and pulled him back, his eyes wide and eager.

“Wait, Joof, don’t go. I’m all excited now and I can’t sleep anyways, I wanna talk about the farm.” He could tell Jeff was about to protest so he added “ ‘Sides, I’m sick, you’ve gotta be extra nice to me.”

“Nah man, you being sick means I need to take care of you, not be extra nice.” Austin had still not released his hold on Jeff’s arm though, so he decided to try a different approach. 

“I’m gonna go heat up the soup I brought you and we can talk while you have it, kay? Because I’m betting you totally forgot to eat today.”

“Not true!” Austin countered immediately, “I totally ate a banana at some point I think.” Jeff snorted in response.

“Very convincing.” Austin had relaxed his grip on his arm though, so he stood and went to retrieve the to-go bag he had left on the counter when he rushed in. Because they spent so much time at each other's apartments, they had each opted to give the other their spare key. It was a decision Jeff was very fond of, and it had the effect of making Austin’s apartment feel like his second home. When the microwave had finished heating the soup, he grabbed a spoon and napkin, and this time, remembered to knock on the bedroom door.

“Come in!” Austin called brightly. Jeff opened the door to find him sitting cross legged on his bed. He was wearing a Harvest Seasons t-shirt and must have run a comb through his hair because the mass of bed-head appeared at least somewhat tamed compared to when Jeff had arrived. 

“Yay!! Soup!” he trilled, making grabby hands at it as Jeff entered the room. Jeff chuckled and handed it off to him. 

“Just be careful with it” he cautioned, “I don’t want you to spill and burn yourself.”

“Okay _Mom_ , I will.” joked Austin, and then added more seriously a second later, “Also thanks for getting it for me, dude. You didn’t have to do that.”

“No problem, buddy.” Jeff said, giving him a thumbs up. They sat there just smiling at each other for a second before Jeff remembered how much they still needed to hash out. 

“Okay,” he began, “So I don’t want to sugar coat this. My grandpa died like, 20 years ago and… I don’t really know if anyone has been taking care of the farm since then. I’m guessing it’s lookin’ pretty rough.” Austin made thoughtful slurping noises on the soup while Jeff continued, “We’ll probably have to clear the place out some before we can really grow anything. And it’s gonna be a lot of manual labor and stuff.”

“Are you trying to talk me out of it?” Austin asked between soup sips “Cause it’s not gonna work.”

“Not talk you out of it!” insisted Jeff, “I just don’t want you to get there and be like.. disappointed cause it’s not what you expected or something.”

“Dude, do you think we’ll see those monsters up by the mountain cave you told me about that one time?” Austin asked, as if he hadn’t heard Jeff at all.

“I dunno, maybe.” 

“Nice. That’s sick.” Austin enthused “Do you think we’ll meet a forest wizard? Oh man, what if we see aliens?” Jeff couldn’t keep himself from laughing

“Okay, I doubt that. It’s not like we’re going to another planet, dude. Zuzu City runs a bus there a couple times a day.” But Austin was not to be put off.

“Man, screw Joja, this is gonna be so fun and chill. I’m gonna be shacking up with my buddy and living off the land.” Austin had always had a special brand of contagious enthusiasm, it was one of Jeff’s favorite things about him. When he was excited and passionate about something, there was no way to be around him and not feel that too. Jeff found his heart beating the same way it had when he first found the letter. It _was_ going to be fun. It was the change they both so desperately needed.

“Oh! That reminds me!” Jeff piped “My Grandpa’s house is only a one bedroom deal, but there are a few cabins scattered around the property. I used to always sleep in one of those when I visited as a kid, they’re really cozy. But that way we can like… still have our own spaces still.” 

“Awww, no sleepovers?” Austin feigned disappointment “Nah, just kidding, a little cabin sounds great. Dude, I can decorate it and it’ll be just like when you get the first house in Creature Passing!” 

“Yeah, man!” Jeff agreed with a smile. He still harbored his own doubts about if the situation would be quite as idyllic as Austin was making it out to be, but it was such an appealing thought he was already feeling himself start to buy into that image of things. Austin had nearly finished his soup at this point, however, so Jeff took this as his indication to start getting ready to leave. 

“You heading out already?” asked Austin, removing the spoon from his mouth and giving a brief look of disappointment when he saw Jeff stand.

“Yeah, I should probably go. I was serious about feeling bad for like... waking you up. Besides, we can talk about stuff more tomorrow. Do you think you’ll be able to come back to work?” Austin grinned back at him.

“Yeah! Can’t quit Joja if I don’t go in. And I… I actually, I’m feeling a lot better since you got here.” They smiled at each other again, before Jeff headed for the door.

“Alright, see you tomorrow then, Peebs.”

“Bye Joof! See ya then!” Austin called after him. He shut the door, his mouth still pulled wide with a warm smile and his heart fluttering with excitement. Dropping one life for a new one was a gamble for sure, but now that he knew he would have Austin with him, he felt that much more certain it could wind up being the best gamble he’d ever made.


	3. Arrival at Pelican Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon their arrival, Jeff worries that their new life on the farm might not be all he hoped and dreamed it would.

Contrary to both of their expectations, the time before the much anticipated move-in day did not drag by at all. All things considered, two weeks was not a lot of time to pack, arrange transport, and take care of all the miscellaneous paperwork and planning to make the move to Stardew Valley a reality. Perhaps it was for that reason that Jeff found himself feeling somewhat anxious and off-focus when the day of the move arrived. He kept running through mental checklists in an attempt to make sure they hadn’t forgotten anything. Truth be told, it wasn’t until he watched the buildings outside the bus window slowly be replaced by rolling fields and then by thickets of woods, that the full weight of the decision started to set in. As thrilling as a fresh start could be, it was nerve wracking too. But he was determined not to voice his misgivings to Austin, so instead, he had remained relatively silent during the ride, gazing pensively out the window and trying to quell the little flips in his stomach. The tree tips blurring by were tinged with jade, just-budding leaves to signify the start of spring. It was a new beginning for the valley, too. 

“Hey,” came Austin’s groggy voice from beside him, breaking into his reverie “How much longer til we’re there?” Jeff checked his watch for the 3rd time in 10 minutes.

“Should be about two hours.” Austin groaned softly in response. 

“But that’s so long still…” he whined, “and long rides make me sleepy.” As if to emphasize this, he gave an exaggerated yawn. Jeff chuckled.

“You can nap if you want! We’ll probably be busy once we get there, so you might as well rest now.” Austin puffed his cheeks up and exhaled. 

“Can’t. There’s not anywhere comfy to sleep…”

“I guess that’s true.” Jeff admitted “These seats don’t recline, and that just leaves my bony shoulder.” he joked

“You shoulder’s not that bony.” Austin paused for a second “Are you offering it..?” Jeff shrugged in response

“I mean, sure dude, why not? I don’t care.” And why would he? They were best friends and neither of them really subscribed to the sort of toxic masculinity that forbid casual touch between men. Austin seemed to contemplate Jeff’s words for a second before shuffling over in the seat and hunching a little to lay his head on the shorter man’s shoulder.

“Mmmkay, but just cause I’m really tired. Thanks, Joof.” 

“Sure, man.” A stray strand of Austin’s hair that was sticking up was dangerously close to getting in Jeff’s mouth, so he patted it gently back onto his head, earning a small smile from Austin before his eyelids fluttered closed. Only a few minutes passed before his breathing became slower and more rhythmic. Austin’s face was normally so expressive and full of energy that it felt strange to see all his features relaxed and at rest. Jeff smiled fondly at his friend, feeling a familiar warmth in his chest. As he glanced up, he thought his eyes connected briefly with the bus driver’s gaze in the rearview mirror. What he could see of her face appeared disinterested, but he wondered vaguely what she thought of the two of them. His hyper-nearness to Austin felt normal enough to him, but there was some part of him that thought he  _ should _ feel a little peculiar about how close they were sitting. In fact, despite being the only two passengers on the bus, they could hardly be any closer. It didn’t feel weird, though. Turning his eyes back to the view out the bus window, Jeff realized this was the first time during the trip that he hadn’t been on edge. The horizon line shifted so the late afternoon sun was no longer blocked by tree and mountain silhouettes. Sunshine slanted through the window, causing him to scrunch his eyes shut, but he could still see warm light blotches intruding from behind his eyelids. Sitting like that, it was only a few minutes before he dozed off himself. 

Jeff awoke to the sound of the bus coming to a stop and the engine cutting out. He blinked several times to orient himself, not having realized he had fallen asleep in the first place. His cheek was laying smooshed against Austin’s hair so he could only assume he had drifted off like that. All at once, Jeff realized they must have just arrived

“Peebs, hey!” he said, jostling his shoulder gently, “We’re here.” Austin opened his eyes and stared up at Jeff with a sleepy smile for a second before the words seemed to connect with him.

“Wait, wha? We’re here?” He leapt up, suddenly completely awake, “Come on, dude! Let’s go!” Jeff laughed and stood as well, grabbing their suitcases from overhead. Quickly, they shuffled down the aisle to the bus doors and stumbled into the daylight, luggage in hand. 

That first inhalation of valley air was all the proof Jeff needed that he’d made the right choice. It smelled of petrichor, pollen and pine without a hint of cigarette smoke or car exhaust. Jeff grinned and stole a glance at Austin, whose eyes were wide and mouth was agape. Even just here at the bus stop, it was as staggeringly beautiful as Jeff remembered. The cornflower colored sky was not cut up by skyscrapers, but by the lilac peaks of mountains. Daffodils and dandelions bespeckled the bed of clover that covered the earth, and though it was late afternoon, he could hear bird chirps and the low thrum of woodpeckers. Jeff’s reverence for the valley was cut short, however, by someone calling out from further down the dirt path they had stepped out and on to from the bus.

“Hello there!” The voice somehow sounded both booming and weathered. Jeff squinted through the sunlight and could just make out an older man with a prominent grey mustache waving at them. He was wearing a brown driver’s cap and suspenders over a forest green button down. Jeff waved back as the man continued to approach.

“Which of you two young gentleman is the Fabre boy?” he inquired, to which Jeff answered.

“That’s me!”

“Ah, I should have known. You have your grandfather’s cheek bones.” He clapped Jeff on the shoulder, “But where have my manners gone? I’m sure you don’t recognize me. I’m Lewis, the mayor of Pelican Town. We spoke briefly on the phone last week about your arrival, but your grandfather was actually an old friend of mine.” 

“No, I think I kinda remember!” Jeff assured him “You used to come over to play cards sometimes, right?” Mayor Lewis smiled widely at him in response

“Why that’s right! You’ve got a sharp mind to remember all those years ago.” He chortled to himself for a moment and then his eyes came to rest on Austin who had been shifting his weight nervously from one foot to the other during this conversation.

“Who’s this you’ve brought with you?” Lewis asked.

“Oh!” said Jeff “My bad, this is Austin.”

“You can call me PBG!” He interjected, stepping forward and offering his hand. Lewis shook it firmly.

“And what brings you to our little town, PBG?” Austin deferred to Jeff to offer explanation.

“Uh, he’s the friend I mentioned on the phone who is moving to the farm with me.” Lewis raised his eyebrows and a look of mild surprise crossed his features before quickly being replaced by his smile from before.

“Ah, yes! So you did mention. I suppose I had assumed...” he trailed off for a second and then smiled again “But no matter. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. PBG.”

“Yeah, great to meet you too!” he replied. Before their conversation could continue though, Jeff heard yet another voice, this one more feminine, calling down the path.

“Hey, Lewis, how long are you gonna keep me waiting?” Lewis chuckled and gestured for the two of them to follow him back down the dirt road. As they came around a bend they saw a woman, probably in her 40s, with shoulder length red hair and bright eyes. She was tapping her clunky boots in mock impatience as Mayor Lewis ambled over to her. 

“Gentlemen,” he said, “this is Robin, our local carpenter here in Pelican Town. And Robin, these are the new farmers: Jeff and his partner, Austin.”

“Farming partner,” Jeff corrected quickly, but Robin didn’t seem to give it a second thought.

“Nice meeting you both! I think Lewis here wanted me to help show you to the farm in case you faint at the sight of it.” Mayor Lewis clicked his tongue in response.

“Now Robin, don’t scare the poor boys.” he reprimanded, “The farm might not be what it once was, but it’s a fine plot of land with some rich, fertile soil.” Jeff felt that nervous, churning feeling return to his stomach. _ Faint at the sight of it? _ He sincerely hoped that was just some playful exaggeration on Robin’s part. They continued down the path for a minute longer but soon started to slow their pace.

“How much farther is it?” Jeff asked

“Why this is it, just up ahead.” Lewis answered, gesturing to the land drawing near in front of them… and at first Jeff didn’t understand, because the land in front of them looked nothing like a farm at all. 

And then it clicked. It was much worse than Jeff had feared. What was once evenly plowed rows of crops lined with little stone paths and fences had been completely reclaimed by the earth. The soil itself was practically inscrutable beneath the thick layer of weeds and underbrush. A seemingly impossible number of saplings had sprung up too, making the land look more like forest than farm. And… and there were boulders, how were there boulders?  _ Where had those even come from? _ It was unrecognizable from the place he had known in his childhood. Jeff opened his mouth and then closed it again, flabbergasted and speechless. All of that certainty he had felt when they arrived in the valley just moments ago had been replaced by overwhelming distress. 

“Shall we make our way to the cottage?” the Mayor asked, seemingly unaware of Jeff’s panic.

“S-sure…” He stammered. He stole a glance at Austin, trying to gauge his thoughts, but for once, his expression was unreadable. Lewis led them through a nearly imperceivable path through the underbrush until they had wound around enough trees to see the cabin. It was unassuming and time-worn, but at least bore some resemblance to the structure Jeff remembered. Built from nothing but wood, he heard unmistakable creaks as he crossed the small porch. He stole a glance through the window, but it was so caked with dirt and dust he couldn’t make out much of what was within. Lewis handed Jeff a small set of keys, discolored with rust.

“Your grandfather left these in the care of the Pelican Town Mayor office until the day that you arrived.” Lewis’s face had become soft with nostalgia. “He would be very happy that day has finally come. I think you’ll settle in very nicely. Even if the cottage may be a bit… rustic.” 

“Please,” Robin snorted, “Don’t sugar coat it. This shack is a total mess.” Lewis cast her a disapproving look

“Don’t pay her any mind. She just wants you to be dissatisfied with the place so you’ll hire her to renovate it.”

“Rude!” Robin scowled, “And not true!” Jeff laughed nervously in response.

“Well... thank you so much for showing us the way here.” He hoped his voice sounded grateful, and was not audibly laced with the alarm he felt. 

“And thanks for welcoming us to the town too!” Austin interjected. It was the first time he had spoken since they had arrived at the property. He sounded unperturbed but Jeff couldn’t fathom that was actually the case. The mayor smiled at them both again.

“It was my pleasure, and the least I could do for the grandson of my old friend.” Robin, who had seemingly recovered from Lewis’s jab, grinned at them both as well.

“I know you’ll both be busy getting settled, but if you have the chance, you should come by the Saloon this Friday. It would be a great way to meet more of the town. My husband and I always stop by for a few hours, and my son often goes to play pool or the arcade games with some friends. They’re probably about your age, actually.” Jeff gave a nod in response.

“Yeah, that could be cool.”

“That’s a wonderful idea, Robin!” Lewis agreed warmly, “I’ll be there for a drink myself. And the saloon has the best food in town, you won’t want to miss it.” Perhaps subconsciously sensing Jeff’s tension, Lewis stepped down from the porch.

“Well, I suppose we should leave you both to unpack, but if you have any questions about Pelican Town, my door is always open.” He turned with Robin as if to take his leave but then stopped abruptly. “That’s right, I almost forgot. I picked these up for you from Pierre’s General Store. It isn’t much, but hopefully it can help you get started.” He extended his arm to hand Jeff a small packet with something rattling inside. The colorful drawing and print on the front informed him that they were parsnip seeds.

“Thanks so much, Mayor!” Jeff tried to inject excitement into his voice, “This is great.”

“Think nothing of it!” The Mayor insisted, and he and Robin began their trek back out to the main road to town.

“I’ll see you both on Friday!” Robin called back to them, as she rounded the bend.

“Yeah!” Jeff shouted back, “We’ll be there!” He made it just until they were out of sight before collapsing on the porch.

“Hey, woah, Jeff!” Austin exclaimed, instantly worried, “What happened, are you okay?” Jeff put his head in his hands, refusing to meet his eyes.

“I--I’m sorry, Austin...” he apologized, “I didn’t think it would be this bad. I shouldn’t have dragged you into this. I don’t know what to do...” Jeff couldn’t see his face, but he heard Austin step closer and sit on the porch at his side.

“Dude, calm down.” Austin’s voice was insistent but gentle, “You didn’t drag me into anything, I wanna be here. And even if it  _ was _ as bad as you’re acting like it is, it’d still have been my decision to come.” Upon hearing this, Jeff sat up a little and stole a glance at his friend. He didn’t look angry or even upset, really. Just worried. 

“Seriously?” asked Jeff in disbelief, “Have you seen this place? How are we possibly supposed to start a farm and… and live here? Robin is right, it’s a dump.” Austin drew his lips into a thin line.

“I mean, you said like way before we got here that it was probably gonna take some work to fix the place up, right? So--I, ya know, we already knew that. And besides, I’d much rather be here than at freaking Joja.” Despite himself, Jeff gave a small laugh.

“Do you mean it?”

“Heck yeah! So stop freaking out so much, dude. We got this.”

“Are you saying I’m being dramatic?” Jeff feigned outrage.

“Wellll...maybe JUST a little bit,” Austin teased. This time they both laughed together. Already Jeff was starting to feel like the degree to which he had panicked was silly. It was true that they were going to have their work cut out for them, but they had each other. And surely the two of them together could accomplish what his grandfather had all by himself.

“Sorry for being dumb,” said Jeff, “I guess I was just worried you’d be mad or… I dunno, hate me for making you leave your job for this or something.”

“S’okay,” Austin assured him, “You put up with me being dumb, like, all the time. And-- I couldn’t really hate you I don’t think, dude.” Jeff felt that same sense of warm comfort he’d felt when they were sleeping on the bus--that peace of mind that only Austin seemed to know how to bring him. Instilled with new hopefulness, he glanced behind himself at the door to the cottage.

“So I guess we should probably check it out, huh?” Jeff stood and brushed off his jeans, reaching for the key that Mayor Lewis had given him. Austin reassuringly placed a hand on Jeff’s shoulder, prompting Jeff to look at him inquisitively.

“Just in case you freak out again,” Austin joked. Jeff smiled sheepishly at him and then unlocked the door.

It took a second for their eyes to adjust to the dimness of the room after standing in the insistent sunshine. To Jeff’s relief, the inside of the cabin was not particularly different from what he remembered--aside, that was, from being somewhat more barren and a lot mustier. The entry way they had walked into contained nothing but one large couch, a rug, and an ancient looking television set. Dust motes drifted lazily through the air and Jeff heard Austin give a little sneeze beside him. Tentatively, he stepped through the doorway and made his way into the adjoining room. It was the same kitchen from years ago, with simple wooden cabinets, countertops and a table and chairs his grandfather had crafted himself. 

“Hey, the bed’s not too bad!” Austin called, from the other side of the entry. His voice was accompanied by the audible squeak of mattress springs. Jeff peeked his head around the door to find him sprawled out on the bed. It had an unassuming frame that was quite low to the ground, but it was covered in a thick, plush quilt and already stocked with several pillows. Aside from the bed, the only other things in the room were a large chest of drawers and a door that led to the bathroom. He felt a small sense of dread as he wondered what shape the plumbing and pipes would be in after all these years, but tried to push that from his mind for the time being.

“Oh dude!” Jeff exclaimed, with sudden realization, “You should totally be checking out your own cabin. Let me take you there.”

“But this is cozy...” Austin argued, “Can’t I stay here?”

“No way man, that’s my bed, no Peebs allowed,” he teased. Austin pouted and tossed a pillow at Jeff’s head. He dodged it smoothly, as Austin hopped up to join him

“Mkay, let’s go. I wanna see my new house!” he said brightly. And side by side, they headed back out to the farm to gather their luggage, and begin settling in.


	4. Mystery of the Mountains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A letter from Joja in the mail sends Jeff and Austin up to the mountains where they begin to learn about one of Stardew Valley’s biggest secrets

The crow of his rooster alarm clock woke Jeff from a heavy sleep. He stumbled out of bed, grasping for it blindly in the indigo darkness of the morning. With the alarm silenced, he let the still of the early hour wash over him. The sky outside the window was in that just pre-dawn limbo where it was too light to make out any stars, but the sun had not yet broken across the horizon. It was their fourth morning on the farm, and Jeff was somewhat surprised to note that while he was still a little groggy, he was not actually tired. Already his body seemed to be adjusting to the new routine. He grabbed the jeans, t-shirt and button-down he had laid out for himself on the chest of drawers, and headed into the bathroom to make himself presentable. As he entered, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and was shocked to see that his arms looked more defined than they had when he had arrived just earlier that week. This was logical enough though, given that for the last three days he had done almost nothing but try to clear, till and sow the weed and root strangled land. Still, if he was already seeing a difference, he wondered at how much better shape he would be in longterm with this new lifestyle. The dark circles beneath his eyes were starting to vanish too, making their dusky turquoise color appear brighter. He looked better. He looked  _ good _ . 

Jeff set to showering and styling his hair and just as he was finishing getting ready, he heard a knock.

“One sec!” He called, giving his hair one last floof before padding over to the main room. He swung the front door open and was greeted at once by the cool, dewy air and a sleepy Austin.

“Mornin’ Joof,” he yawned “I got the mail.” Austin handed him a small bundle of letters as he shuffled over the threshold and into the kitchen. He gave a little sniff of the air, “Dang, you didn’t start the coffee yet.” 

“Sorry dude, I’ll get it going now.” He made his way into the kitchen and bustled about, fetching their mugs and the ground coffee container, while Austin lit the gas stove. 

“What’s for breakfast?” Jeff inquired

“S’gonna be toast and eggs!” answered Austin cheerily.

“Aw man, again?” Jeff teased, earning a glare from Austin.

“I don’t know a lot of recipes!” he said defensively.

“It’s okay dude, I’m just kidding. That sounds really good!”

“No, if you don’t like it, you can make your own breakfast! This is the last time I lovingly cook a meal for you,” Austin retorted.

“Oh man, I screwed up big time, huh?” Jeff laughed, but upon seeing the continued look of mock outrage on Austin’s face added “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. You make great eggs and toast and I would really appreciate it if you would be super duper nice and make me some too.” He paused watching Austin’s expression, “That good enough?”

“Yeah, I’m happy now,” he replied with a little smirk. Jeff rolled his eyes, but not without affection.

“Here, you can even have the first cup of coffee.” He handed it off to Austin, who was still hunched over the stove but made a tiny sound of satisfaction when he took a sip. Since there was no kitchen in Austin’s cabin, their mornings had gone largely like this one, with each of them doing their part to fortify for the physically arduous task of another day clearing the farm. With the coffee brewed, Jeff flicked the TV on for background noise, plopped down on the couch, and picked up the pile of letters Austin had brought in with him. 

“Dude, how are we already getting junk mail?” Jeff asked in disbelief, “We just moved in. Did you give Joja our new address?”

“Me? Heck no!” Austin denied, “I want to get as far away from those creeps as possible.”

“Yeah, same…” Jeff agreed. He studied the large envelope colored in the traditional Joja blue, “Oh, it looks like it was maybe sent from their Stardew Valley location.” 

“Wha? There’s a Joja branch out here of all places?” Austin groaned “Man, they pop up everywhere.”

“Yeah, now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure there’s a Joja Mart on the east side of town. My grandad never shopped there though…”Jeff’s voice trailed off. He pondered the letter for a second before tearing it open. 

“Dude, why even bother? Just toss it,” Austin said, as he handed Jeff a plate of scrambled eggs and toast before plunking down on the couch beside him. Jeff nibbled at the toast distractedly.

“It’s like--an announcement to the town saying they finished clearing out a rockslide up by the mountains,” he mused.

“Oh. That sounds, like...weirdly helpful of them.”

“Nah dude, pretty sure they caused the rock slide from drilling and then  _ had _ to clean it up,” Jeff explained. Austin laughed in response.

“Yeahhh, seems more accurate.” 

“Right?” Jeff agreed, “But it sounds like, I mean I think that means the path up to the mountain lake is cleared out now, so that’s cool,” Austin perked up upon hearing this.

“Dude, we should totally go check out the mountains today!” 

“Ya think so?” asked Jeff

“Yeah!” Austin enthused, “I know we had to get started on the farm, but we haven’t gotten to explore at all yet. We’ll see the town square tomorrow if we go to the saloon like that carpenter lady said. But I wanna see the mountains!”

“You think the farm will be okay?” Jeff hedged, “I guess we already got our first plot of crops planted anyways…”

“Exactly!” Austin agreed, “So let’s just like, water everything this morning and then go up to the mountains for an adventure!” Jeff pondered this for a minute. The peaks of Stardew Valley had always been a point of fascination for him when he visited as a child. That interest was elevated further by his grandfather’s uncharacteristically firm insistence that Jeff was never to go exploring there alone. His best guess as to the reason was simply that the terrain was particularly rough in some areas, but a small part of him wondered if there was more to it than that. Perhaps it hid some mystery that was tied to the strange, eerie noises he used to sometimes hear carry over to the shore of the mountain lake. Or the inky, ghoul-like figure he remembered peering from a copse of firs when he and his grandfather had lingered there late one night--an image he had convinced himself was just a product of the deepening shadows and his childhood imagination. But he wasn’t a child anymore, he was almost 30, and perfectly capable of fending for himself. Surely he could handle whatever secrets the mountains north of Pelican Town were home to. Plus, Austin’s excitement was absolutely infectious.

“Ya know what? Yeah, dude! Let’s do it. Mountain Adventure!” Jeff cheered.

“Mountain Adventure!!!” Austin exclaimed, even more enthusiastically.

They both scarfed their breakfasts down and hurried outside to tend to the not-yet-sprouted seeds. With two of them on the job, they finished quickly, and the sun had only just cleared the horizon in full by the time each row of soil was sufficiently damp. 

“Do you have any hiking boots?” Jeff asked, tightening the laces on his own. They were just about ready to head out now.

“Errr… will these sneakers work?” Austin smiled sheepishly. 

“Probably, as long as the soles are good.” Jeff gestured towards the path north of the farm so they could begin their trek. “My grand-dad was kinda weird about going up to the mountains alone. He always kinda acted like it was dangerous or something.” Austin considered this,

“We’re going together though so it’s probably fine! If I start to slip or something I’ll just grab onto you.”

“Dude, no, then we’ll  _ both _ fall!” 

“Jeff, if I’m going down, I’m taking you with me!” Austin insisted.

“Okay, how about  _ neither _ of us fall down the mountain and die, sound like a plan?” 

“Mmm…” Austin pondered aloud, “I dunno, I’ll think about it.” Their eyes met as they laughed and in that moment, Jeff couldn’t help but feel extremely grateful that Austin had decided to come with him. He would have moved to the farm all by himself if it came to it, but the experience would have been a far more solitary and potentially frightening one. As it was, he had someone to joke around with as a distraction during the long periods of exhausting labor, and someone to help quell his worries about the newness of it all. 

About a half hour into the hike, the terrain started to change. Towering pine trees obscured the view ahead and Jeff was grateful the trail was well worn enough that he didn’t have to worry about getting lost. Though the slope of the path had been gradual when they began, it soon steepened, leaving them both more focused on their breathing than continuing a conversation. Even in the weak spring sunlight of early morning, Jeff could feel sweat beading on his forehead.

“I think...we’re almost at the first overlook,” he panted.

“Thank god,” said Austin fervently, “I need a breather.” 

As if on cue, the ground began to level off. Some small part of Jeff’s mind registered the presence of a tent and fire pit off to the side, but he was far more focused by the view in front of them. The trees thinned around them to reveal that they were standing near a steep ledge that looked down on a glassy lake, its water azure as the sky. Sunshine shimmered off the surface, blindingly bright. If he squinted, Jeff could make out what looked like wild leeks growing in the patches of shade that dotted the lake’s perimeter. The sheer cliffs of the mountain range’s tallest peaks watched over the scene--stoic and steely in contrast to the soft foliage surrounding them. If the hike there had left them short of breath, the view from this mountain ledge left them breathless. 

“Dude…” exhaled Austin, “This is amazing! Can we get closer?” 

“Yeah!” Jeff answered, already bounding down the long set of wooden stairs which wound down to the lake level. They jogged past an elegant lake house, sequestered into the cliff face they had just descended, and down to the shore. There was a breeze on the edge of the water, which tousled Jeff’s hair and felt particularly refreshing after the sweaty hike. He saw Austin’s grinning reflection appear in the mirror-like water beside his own. Something beneath the water moved, sending a wave of ripples across the surface and briefly distorting their image. Jeff suddenly smacked his head with his own hand.

“Crap, we should have brought the fishing rod!” he said “I didn’t even think about it.”

“Jeez Jeff, I can’t  _ believe _ you didn’t remember that,” Austin elbowed him in the side, “even though I also totally forgot.” Jeff laughed.

“Yeah, the fishing up here is pretty good though. And we could probably make some money doing that before our crops are ready, I bet. But I guess the shed only had the one rod…” He paused, temporarily dismayed before another thought hit him “Oh, yeah! But there’s a fishing shop down by the ocean. So if we go down there and get another fishing rod then we could both go fishing together. I mean, assuming that you like, want to. Otherwise I guess I could probably just do it. And maybe if you wanted we could like--”

“Did you see that?” Austin asked suddenly, interrupting Jeff’s rambling.

“--have days where we trade off and...wait, see what?” His eyes tracked Austin’s gaze, which was fixed on a spot across the water at the base of one of the steepest parts of the mountains.

“Oh, yeah there’s a cave thing over there. It’s old.” said Jeff. Sure enough, there was a narrow opening gouged from the rock on the other side of the lake. The entrance looked as if it was probably large enough for a person to enter through it, but it would not leave very much wiggle room. 

“I thought…” Austin trailed off.

“Thought what?”

“I thought I saw something move in there.” Jeff cocked his head to the side.

“Huh. It was probably just a bat or something, dude.” Austin did not look particularly convinced.

“Maybe…” he mused, and then a second later: “I wanna check it out!”

“Okay... but be careful just in case there’s like... a bear inside,” Jeff teased. Austin made a face at him before jogging ahead around the lake perimeter. His limbs were so long that Jeff half expected him to look gangly or silly while running, but he moved with surprising swiftness and athleticism. Right before reaching the cave entrance, the path narrowed to a bridge of wooden planks and he slowed his pace to cross it. He made a big show of being exaggeratedly sneaky, tip-toeing over the bridge and to the entrance, before he darted his head in for a peek. Only a second later, he leapt back, arms flailing and eyes wide. Jeff watched as he very nearly toppled over into the water but steadied himself against the mountainside at the last second.

“Woah, Austin, careful!” Jeff took off running to him while Austin clambered back across the bridge, his mouth still agape.

“Th-there’s someone in there!” He sputtered, as Jeff stopped short beside him.

“Like… a person?” Jeff was unsure why this would have elicited quite so much shock from him. 

“Not just a person…” he said breathlessly, “It was a  _ pirate _ .” They locked eyes and stared at each other for a second, then Jeff burst out laughing. “Dude, be quiet! The pirate will hear you!” Austin’s panicked tone, made Jeff laugh even harder.

“Man, you almost got me,” he managed between lingering giggles, “You looked  _ so _ freaked out, I really bought it.” 

“I’m not kidding!” Austin insisted “there’s like-- actually a pirate in there, I swear!”

“Yeah, sure there is dude.” Austin’s face turned pink from indignation.

“If you don’t believe me, then look for yourself!” Abruptly, he grabbed Jeff’s wrist and marched him over to the cave entrance while Jeff continued to bite back more laughter.

“Alright, alright.” he obliged, “I’ll check it out.” Jeff stepped forward and peered into the cave, genuinely curious about what he would see that could possibly be construed as a pirate. Well--there was definitely someone in there. He paused and let his eyes adjust to the comparative darkness. Inside, a man stood motionless, staring down at the floor of the cave with unwavering focus. He had a shock of gray hair, but more striking than that, he wore an eye patch and seemed to be carrying... a sword? Without thinking, Jeff stepped forward to try and get a better look, his silhouette blocking the main source of light into the cave and casting a large shadow in the process. The man looked up at him in surprise.

“Er...hey there!” Jeff greeted with a weak wave. Yes, that definitely was a sword he was holding, and while it looked somewhat clunky, it did not look like a toy. Jeff swallowed nervously. The sword wielding man seemed to be studying him carefully.

“I don’t think I recognize you...” his voice was gravel rough, and sounded guarded, “You from around these parts?” 

“I’m uh--” Jeff stammered and then grabbed suddenly at Austin’s arm beside him, causing him to yelp slightly as he yanked him into the entrance so they would both be visible “We’re the farmers...The new ones.” It wasn’t that he thought this guy with the sword was going to attack them per se, but he figured it was less likely if he knew there were two of them. The man continued to look them over closely, his only visible eye darting quickly between their faces.

“The new farmers, aye?” he paused for a second then made a short, gruff sound Jeff could only assume was a laugh “Welcome to the Valley. Name’s Marlon. It’s not often we get townsfolk up by the mineshaft.” Jeff felt a little of the tension in his body dissipate and could sense the same from Austin beside him.

“Did you say… the mineshaft?” Austin inquired, making no attempt to conceal his brewing curiosity. In response, Marlon gestured to the ground at his feet. Now that Jeff’s eyes had adjusted to the reduced visibility of the cave, he could see that Marlon hadn’t just been staring at the dirt when they found him. There was a perfectly circular, person-sized hole at his feet that led straight down for an unknown distance. Large metal pegs jutted out just beside the hole. They reflected the dim cave light, and he thought he could see an attached ladder dangling beneath it. 

“Goes a long way down.” he said, and then turned back to them with a strange look on his face, almost challenging, “There’s a lot of treasure down there for those who are brave enough to go looking. But I reckon it ain't for the faint of heart. You’ll find strange creatures in the mines too…few of them friendly.” Marlon smiled wryly “Gil and I do our best to keep the place under control, but we’re gettin’ old. Sure wouldn’t mind a little help e’ry now and again.” 

“What do you mean?” Jeff’s voice wavered a little with uncertainty. Rather than responding aloud, Marlon began to hobble towards them, and Jeff realized for the first time that he had a wooden leg. He stopped just before the two of them and raised his sword. Jeff winced involuntarily before realizing it was not being held out as a threat, but as an offering. Marlon held the sheath out to him in his other hand. 

“For me?” Jeff asked in disbelief. 

“Reckon you’ll need it if you go down there. Besides, might as well be yours. I been holding onto your ole grandpop’s blade long enough.”

“How did you know about my grand--,”

“You’ve got his cheekbones.” Marlon answered, and then he gave Jeff an expectant look. Hesitantly, he took the sword hilt from the man’s hand. It wasn’t as heavy as he expected, and he was surprised by how well balanced the ancient looking sword felt in his hand. He couldn’t shake the feeling he looked ridiculous standing there with it though.

“And you…” Marlon said, turning to address Austin

“M-me?” he stammered.

“Reckon I outta give you one as well. You’ll fair best together.”

“You have ANOTHER sword?” Austin asked in open disbelief, and Marlon laughed heartily, reaching beneath his short cloak and producing a long dagger.

“I’m ‘fraid you’ll have to make do with this. S’all I have on me at the moment, but there’s many more back at the guild. If you decide to go explorin’ you should drop by sometime.” This statement was met with silence from both boys, so he continued on: “This should be enough to get you started. If you do decide to venture down there, you can expect to hear from me again. Gil and I will make it worth your while.” Austin had still not really worked himself up to actually taking the dagger from Marlon so instead the man had to lift his hand and place it gingerly in his palm.

“Th-thanks!” Austin managed, his eyes still wide. Marlon looked between the two of them and then gave a curt nod.

“Well, that ‘bout does it. ‘Spose I best leave you to it.” His voice sounded final, and he pushed gently between the two of them, towards the cave entrance. Jeff wanted to ask him a million questions: Was he serious about this? Had his grandfather really used this same sword in the mineshaft? And what type of “creatures” were down there that required such weapons to explore safely? But while he puzzled where to even begin, Marlon had taken his leave. The two of them stood there for another minute, trying to work through what had just occurred. The only sound was the steady drip of water coming from deeper within the cave. Finally, Austin’s voice broke the silence.

“Told you there was a pirate.” Despite himself, Jeff laughed.

“I mean, I don’t think he was a pirate, exactly…”

“Dude, are you kidding? He had an eye patch and a wooden leg! And a sword!”

“Well, right but that’s just what a stereotypical pirate  _ looks _ like. To be a real pirate he would have to have like, a ship and ride around the ocean stealing from people and--”

“Yeah, yeah, fine Jeff. Be a smart ass if you want. But he LOOKED like a pirate.” 

“He did.” Jeff agreed

“And you don’t KNOW he doesn’t have a boat and steal from people.”

“I guess I don’t.” Jeff admitted, giving him a slightly indulgent smile.

“HA, then I could still be right!” Austin declared. They laughed together again before both pairs of eyes wandered back to the unsheathed sword in Jeff’s hands.

“I must look really stupid with this thing,” He mused aloud.

“Actually, you look pretty amazing,” Austin told him, and then seeming to reconsider how that sounded, clarified “You know, like a superhero or a knight or something. Like you could kick my butt, basically.” Jeff looked away, feeling both flattered and slightly embarrassed. 

“Thanks, man. You’ve got one too though.” 

“Yeah, I guess I do.” He looked at it again in wonder for a second before fastening the dagger sheath through the loops of his jeans. 

“Whacha doing?” Jeff asked him. Austin looked up at him and then back to where the knife hung at his side.

“Oh, uh… I don’t know, I just thought this would be more convenient I guess?” he gave a little shrug.

“Wait…” Jeff said incredulously, “Are you planning on going down there?” 

“Well, I mean-- yeah?” Austin answered tentatively, and then with more conviction “I mean come on, aren’t you curious Jeff? He said there’s treasure down there! And he basically told us we should go.”

“I guess that’s true.” Jeff agreed “But we don’t even know if we can trust him. Or what the hell is down there...”

“He knew your Grand-dad though,” Austin pointed out, “And he gave us these sick weapons.” Jeff laughed a little, but Austin could tell he still wasn’t convinced so he added, “Come on Joof, we said we were gonna go on a mountain adventure, right?” 

It was true that they had said that earlier in the morning, this just hadn’t really been what he had in mind. He ran his thumb nervously over the sword hilt again, when the slightly uneven surface caught his attention. Jeff inspected it more carefully and his heart started to race. There in the metal were his grandfather's initials, the letters rough and scratchy, but undeniably engraved in the hilt. Suddenly he felt that same hopefulness and determination he had when Austin had comforted him about the farm after they first arrived. His grandfather had done it, so he could too, right? Especially with Austin at his side. They had come looking for an adventure, so there was no sense in backing out now. He slid the sword back into its sheath and strapped it around his waist. Cautiously he edged closer to the mine shaft, peering down. Far below there was a dim, warm light, like that of a lantern. At least they would not be plunging into total darkness.

“Well…” Jeff said, taking a deep breath to steady himself, “After you.”


	5. The Stuff of Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Austin and Jeff’s cave expedition proves to be more dangerous than they originally anticipated.

“You coming?” Austin called

“Dude, you’re not even far enough down the ladder for me to get on it yet.” Jeff answered through laughter

“Okay, okay! I just don’t want you to abandon me,” Austin kept his tone humorous but Jeff thought he heard a tiny shake in his voice. Austin had talked big about wanting to go exploring, but in actuality, he was probably fairly afraid himself. Something about knowing Austin was scared as well gave him his own small burst of courage.

“Don’t worry, I’m right behind you, buddy.” Jeff told him. He lowered his body to the ground and stretched his foot down the hole. There was a moment before making contact with the ladder where he extended his foot into nothingness and became hyper-aware of what it would feel like to free-fall through that space. The toe of his boot found the ladder rung just a second later though, and he felt the knot in his stomach loosen accordingly.

“Can you see a lantern down there?” Jeff asked, “It looked like there was some light further down”

“Yeah I see it,” Austin responded, “It’s not that much lower but I think it might be around a bend.” Several seconds passed and then Jeff heard a soft thud, followed by the echo of footsteps. Suddenly, soft orange light spilled onto the walls around him.

“Found it!” Austin said, sounding pleased with himself. Jeff descended the remaining rungs with more confidence and then climbed off beside him.

“Huh, I guess it wasn’t as far as it looked,” Jeff mused. The entrance to the shaft they had descended loomed about 30 feet above them. 

“Psh, and you didn’t even want to come down here,” Austin teased. Jeff laughed but became self-conscious when the sound echoed against the cavernous walls. Now that he had solid ground underfoot again, he took a second to inspect the space they’d climbed down to. They had dropped to a narrow winding path, with a ceiling just tall enough to clear Austin’s head. The ground was damp, packed, earth, littered with sporadic rocks and boulders and there was a slight sheen to the walls, as if it was embedded with minerals smaller than the eye could see which refracted the lantern light. The sound of trickling water was louder here, and Jeff thought he could hear bats screech from somewhere further in.

“Dude! Look at this!” Austin exclaimed. He had picked up a chunk of rock from the floor with a multitude of cloudy crystals jutting from it. Jeff moved closer to inspect it.

“I think that’s quartz. It’s not super valuable but a big piece like this is a cool find.”

“We should bring it back with us!” Austin’s eyes shone with childlike wonder as he turned the large rock around in his hands, admiring how it shimmered. 

“Sure dude,” Jeff said, an affectionate smile tugging at the corners of his lips “It can be a souvenir of our first trip down here. As long as you carry it back in  _ your  _ backpack.” Austin grinned at him, 

“You saying you don’t want to carry a bunch of rocks all the way back?” Before Jeff could respond though, Austin’s teasing expression shifted drastically to one of open alarm. 

The next moment contained so much movement his brain could hardly process it. Jeff felt something heavy and wet collide with his back. He cried out in shock as the momentum threw him forward to his knees, and watched stunned as Austin’s hand shot to the dagger at his hip. He lunged past Jeff towards something--something unbelievable. Something unlike anything he had ever seen before. It was amorphous and a radioactive green in color. It looked to be composed of a substance part goo and part plasma. He did not even have time to rub at his eyes and confirm what he was seeing however, because the second Austin’s drawn dagger collided with it, the--slime, or whatever it was, dissipated into nothingness. Well, almost nothingness. A small pale pile of the goo dropped to the ground at their feet where it lay motionless. The creature was gone just as quickly as it had appeared. After the rush of movement, they were both still for a second, the only motion the rise and fall of each of their chests. Jeff was still trying to get his bearings when Austin dropped to his side, his face panicked.

“Jeff, oh god, are you okay? I should have done something faster. I saw it, but I didn’t know what it was, I-- I mean I still don’t know what it was, but I didn’t know it was going to like...attack you and, and are you alright? I-”

“Dude,” Jeff interjected, and then more firmly when the stream of worried words continued to rush from Austin’s mouth “Austin! I’m fine. I’m kinda freaked out but I’m not hurt. I think I maybe scraped my knee but that’s it. It just felt like being hit with a giant snowball made of like…jelly.” He waited for the anxiousness on Austin’s features to fade a little before he continued “What… what was that thing?” 

“I dunno..” Austin murmured. His eyes still hadn’t left Jeff’s face and their gaze seemed particularly intense when cast in the lantern light. Jeff scrambled to his feet, embarrassed to be under such scrutiny.

“See? I’m totally fine.” He reassured Austin, who stood to join him. 

“Okay, okay. I believe you.” he responded, his expression shifting to one of relief. Their gazes had each fallen on the small pile of goo that remained behind from whatever creature had given them such a jump scare.

“Do you think that thing was like… a monster?” Jeff asked, still in disbelief

“Maybe? It really didn’t look very threatening until it jumped on you…”

“Yeah. And it left this weird… goo behind or whatever.” 

“I dare you to touch it.” said Austin.

“But I don’t wanna...” Jeff complained

“It’s a dare, that means you  _ have _ to do it.” Austin replied, his voice challenging. 

“Well crap, I guess you’re right.” Jeff reached a hand out hesitantly. He prodded the little blob and then made a face.

“Feels like… wet silly putty.” 

“Yuck! I can’t believe you touched it.” Austin laughed playfully while Jeff shot him a brief glare. 

“Dude! You’re the one who told me to!” he objected.

“Yeah, I know.” Austin agreed, still laughing. The shift back to silliness had helped to dissipate the tension though, and the prospect of continuing to explore no longer felt as daunting.

“So,” Jeff began, trying to get them back on track “I guess there are some uh... slimes? Down here. But it really didn’t do much, and it seemed like you fought it off easily.”

“Yeah, I just hit it with this dagger thing once and it was gone.”

“Right. I don’t really think we were in any danger.” Jeff concurred “So I guess for now… we might as well keep going.”

“Alright!” Austin agreed, stepping forward “Me first. I’m putting you on the sidelines, buddy.” Jeff didn’t bother to object to the gesture, sensing it was as much for Austin’s own peace of mind as his. Austin had an adamantly protective side. They continued their traipse into the cave, each on high alert. At each unfamiliar sound, he would watch Austin tense and listen carefully, his hold on the dagger tightening briefly, before signaling to Jeff that it was okay and continuing on. It was strange for Jeff to see him in this new context- not sitting beside him on a couch, cracking jokes about video games, or squirming impatiently in his desk at Joja, but with a dagger in one hand and a lantern in the other--steadily plunging further into the cave with a quiet determination. Obviously Jeff adored the goofy, high energy version of his friend he knew in and out, but there was something about the ease with which he had slipped into the role of leader that suited him exceptionally well. It wasn’t that his playful, child-like nature wasn’t a genuine part of who he was, but Jeff had the sense that this side of his personality defined him just as much. He’d just never had the chance to see it before. This thought was cut short, however, when Austin suddenly stopped short in front of him. If he hadn’t been watching so closely, he likely would have walked right into him.

“Jeff, do you hear that?” Austin asked softly. He strained his ears. Now that he wasn’t trying to listen over the sound of their footsteps, he  _ could _ hear something-- and it sounded as if it was getting louder. 

“Is it… buzzing?” he asked, “It sounds like a giant--,” but before he could finish, a bright yellow blur came whizzing around the corner. Jeff swerved intuitively and saw Austin duck ahead of him. They had just a second to reorient themselves though, because the blur turned sharply and bee-lined towards them again. Jeff fumbled with the hilt and drew his sword, swinging clumsily but still managing to knock the creature back. Only with its momentum temporarily halted did he have a chance to get a good look at it. It was an enormous, winged bug, roughly as large as a basketball, with massive, orange, compound eyes like that of a fly, and a hairy, yellow abdomen.The cave fly did not seem to appreciate Jeff hitting it with his sword, because its buzzing, which had already been grating, grew shrill and furious.

“Oh shit!” said Jeff. The bug barreled back towards them. Instinctively, Jeff swiped at it with the blunt side of the sword, knocking it back again. All of his senses were in overdrive. Austin shouted something beside him but it was hard to hear over the buzzing and sound of blood pumping in his ears. The bug reared up to charge them a third time, but now he was ready, and when he sliced at the bug once more, it disintegrated. 

“Dude,” breathed Austin, “That was so freakin’ cool.” Jeff laughed when he saw the expression of genuine awe on his face. 

“Thanks, buddy.” His heart was still racing from fright and adrenaline, but it had felt oddly empowering too. He felt capable and kind of badass. And the sword was easier to wield than he had expected. “Hey, maybe we can do this.”

“Heck yeah!” Austin agreed, high-fiving him “Let’s fight some monsters!”

As they descended lower in the cave, Jeff could feel the air temperature dropping. He shivered occasionally, his skin missing the misty sunlight at the lakefront. Periodically, the path would become narrow and branch off, and they would wander down one corridor only to loop back when they hit a dead end. Even those sections without a means to continue were not devoid of excitement though. They halted before every blind corner, wary of possible creatures lurking around the bend. They’d developed a fairly effective system where they cornered any enemies against the cave wall and alternated attacking from each side so they were not at risk of hitting each other and could still double team the monsters. After several hours of this, the shock of encountering the slimes and cave flies was already starting to wear off. And they were discovering a surprising amount of spoils, as well. Already Jeff’s bag was growing heavy from the fragments of copper ore they had stumbled on and a few unusually hollow sounding and smooth rocks that he speculated might be geodes. 

“Hey, Peebs,” Jeff called “how much room do you have left in your bag?” He unzipped the top and peered in for a second

“Not a lot.” he admitted. Jeff jostled the contents of his own backpack around, managing to fit in the strange, perfectly square and smooth brown stone he had discovered, the surface reflecting his face back at him. He checked his watch while he did and noted it was already late afternoon.

“You think we should head back for the day?” Jeff queried.

“Yeah, probably,” Austin agreed, his voice vaguely disappointed.

“Hey, don’t worry. We’ll come back again soon. And now that we know the path better I bet we can go way deeper. Plus we found that shortcut,” Jeff reminded him. He pulled the drawstrings together at the top of his backpack, threw it over his shoulder, and stood. Austin was peering around a bend though and had made no move to join him, “You coming, dude?”

“Hold on a sec,” Austin answered, “I think there’s something over here.” Jeff made his way over to the corner that Austin had darted around as he spoke, and saw what he must have been referring to. There was a short but steep ledge leading down to a lower level. The area was already lit by several lanterns hanging on the walls which cast a warm light on the ground below.

“I think I see a gemstone back there!” Austin said enthusiastically, “I wanna go get it.” Jeff hesitated, the weight of his backpack reminding him they didn’t have room for a lot more

“I dunno. I kinda feel like we should just save it for next time. I doubt it’s going anywhere.”

“You can head back then. I’ll just be a second.”

“You sure?” Jeff asked. The thought of splitting up resulted in an unpleasant churning sensation in the pit of his stomach “I can just wait a minute.”

“Yeah, dude. Here, take the lantern,” he said, “I’ll meet you at the ladder.” Seeing the continued look of unease on Jeff’s face, he lightheartedly added, “I’ve got this, have some faith in me, yeesh.”

“Okay,” Jeff agreed, taking the lantern from his hand. He  _ did _ have faith in him, and they hadn’t encountered anything yet they hadn’t been able to handle, even when taken by surprise after they had first arrived. Plus they were definitely learning their way around and getting a handle on things. They even slowly seemed to be getting more tactful in the combat with their respective weapons. It would be fine. He watched Austin sit and slide over the ledge, where he landed neatly on his feet and gave Jeff a quick thumbs up before bounding off to go retrieve whatever treasure he had spotted. Lantern in hand, he began the trek back to the mine entrance.

**Author's Note:**

> Basically I read “Jeff and Austin Get Distracted From Watching The Queen of Sauce” by Dumb_Scotticus and loved it so much that I decided to write a full length fic that takes place in the Stardew universe.


End file.
